


Within The Tower

by ElegantButler



Category: Max Headroom - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Mentions of past abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-15 10:01:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17526629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElegantButler/pseuds/ElegantButler
Summary: Fed up with being abused by one of Network 23's new board members, Bryce takes over the Network 23 skyscraper, locking out everyone except for the night staff.





	1. LockDown

Within The Tower

A Max Headroom Fanfic

By ElegantButler

  
  
  


Chapter One: LockDown

  
  


Bryce Lynch was furious! For the past two weeks he’d been abused on an almost daily basis by Network 23’s newest board member, Stephen Parker.

 

He’d complained to Cheviot on several occasions. Or rather, he’d tried to. The attempts had fallen on deaf ears. Always it was the same thing.

 

“I’m very busy, Bryce. I’ll get back to you on it.”

 

And each night following any attempt was worse, the abuse compounded by a punishment for daring to speak about it.

 

“Max,” he said, now glaring at the door that Parker had just left through. 

 

“You need to call the Metrocops,” Max told him. “You should have done so the first time.”

 

“He’s a Network 23 board member. They’d spring him tomorrow and sweep the whole thing under the table. And they’d probably fire me for risking their reputation.”

 

“Well, Edison, th-th-then,” Max suggested.

 

Bryce shook his head, vehemently. “And have him air my humiliation for a new show? Max, all I want is to be safe. And there’s only one way I’m going to achieve that.”

 

Max stared at him.

 

“Bryce! You can’t!”

 

“I’m not killing myself,” Bryce assured him. “That would defeat the purpose, wouldn’t it. Look, I hate to do this, but…”

 

Max suddenly found his entire program, himself included, shunted to Edison Carter’s apartment.

 

“Max?” Edison said, seeing the confused look on the construct’s face. “What’s going on?”

 

Max looked around and saw that an old rerun of the Polly Show was being broadcast.

 

“Well, even an old- an old- an old rerun of the Polly Show is bet-bet-better than a new episode of Lumpy’s Proletariat.” Max quipped.

 

“Look, can you go and bug Bryce,” Edison suggested. “I’m all in.”

 

“No can do,” Max said after a vain attempt. “Right now, Network 23 is out-out-output only. Everything’s in lockdown, including the front d-d-door.”

 

“When Bryce realizes the problem, he’ll fix it,” Edison assured him.

 

“Edison,” Max told him. “Bryce is the one doing it.”


	2. An Irate Boss and a Stubborn Teenager

###  Chapter Two: An Irate Boss and A Stubborn Teenager

 

Ben Cheviot woke and was alarmed to see the Standby Show still on air. “That show should’ve been off air an hour ago,” he told his wife. He was quickly dressed and hurrying to the Network 23 skyscraper.

 

When he arrived, he saw several employees, including three board members and the security guard, Stanley, standing on the sidewalk outside.

 

“What’s going on?” he demanded. “Why aren’t you letting people in?”

 

“It’s not me, sir,” Stanley explained. “All of the entry codes have been changed.”

 

“And you never thought to use the override code?” Cheviot asked angrily. 

  
“It’s apparently been revoked, sir,” Stanley explained.

 

“Revoked?” Cheviot almost shouted. “Who by?”

 

“I don’t know, sir,” Stanley admitted.

 

“Bryce has locked everyone out,” Edison explained as he joined them. “Max told me. He says he’s rather miffed about something, but won’t say what.”

 

“I am not negotiating with a teenager,” Cheviot announced. “I don’t care how smart he is. I will not lower myself to that level.”

 

“He’s not looking to nego-go-gotiate,” Max told him. “He just wants you to listen. Listen.”

 

“I will listen to him apologize for screwing up our ratings and taking over my network when the sun shines in Hell,” Cheviot said in no uncertain terms.

 

“When the sun shines in Hell, hm?” Bryce snarled in his studio. He had tuned in to all of the Network’s securicams so that he could keep an eye on Cheviot and the others. He didn’t want any of them sneaking in. Not when they had allowed him to suffer so terribly. They didn’t deserve to work at Network 23. In fact, maybe Network 23 didn’t even deserve to exist.

 

“Cheviot,” Bryce’s voice came from the Network. 

 

Cheviot wondered how Bryce had managed to turn the entire skyscraper into a speaker. He shook the thought off. Now was not the time.

 

“I want a word with you. Give me your ear for five minutes, and if I like your response, I’ll give you back your Network. Otherwise, I’ll shut it down for good.”

 

“Has he gone mad?” Cheviot demanded. “Doesn’t he realize how much damage destroying a single Network will do to the current world infrastructure?”

 

“At this at this at this point,” Max replied, “I don’t think he cares. All Bryce knows is that he has been hurt too many times to count, and I don’t think he’ll accept anything less than an end to that pain.”

 

“I have to choose between the pain of a single teenager and that of the world,” Cheviot groaned. “Normally it would be an easy choice. But the teenager in question currently has the power to destroy this Network and send the world into chaos.”

 

“So what do we do?” Lauren wanted to know.

 

“I don’t know,” Cheviot admitted.

 

“Why don’t you talk to him?” Edison suggested. “Would it really hurt at this point?”

 

“Why don’t you?” Cheviot asked. “You’re friends. Maybe you can reach him?”

 

“He won’t talk with with with Edison,” Max explained. “Bryce wants a discussion, not an interview.”

 

“I’ll talk to him,” Murray said.

 

“It has to be Cheviot,” Max explained. 

 


End file.
